CONTINUOUSWAVE

[This discussion has been separated from a thread in MARKETPLACE in which a notice of FOR SALE was made for a Bearcat 85-HP engine.--jimh]

I believe the Bearcat engines were originally offered by the Fischer-Pierce company to complement the new Boston Whalers. I remember seeing ads for them in ancient copies of Salt Water Sportsman. That would be the early 1960's. Even a [new and never sold] engine motor would be over 50-years-old. They are collector's items to some and for good reason. They were four stroke outboards that were way ahead of their time. If you have an original 1960's Whaler this motor mounted on the stern would be quite the conversation starter. Parts may be a problem but they were dependable for the era.

Oldslowandugly wrote:I believe the Bearcat engines were originally offered by the Fischer-Pierce company...

There is a rather well-researched and lengthy history of the Bearcat 55-HP engine in the REFERENCE section at

Fisher Pierce Bearcat Outboards
http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/history/bearcat.html

It gives quite a good account of the history of the Fisher-Pierce outboard engines. You might find reading it will be helpful to confirm your beliefs. It briefly mentions the Bearcat 85-HP.

I remarked in a discussion from c.2002 that the 85-HP Bearcat was rare. It was only in production for two years, and I believe that would have been c.1971 to 1972. It was based on a 1100-cc block made by Coventry Climax, an English engine maker.

At one time there other websites that tried to collect information about Bearcat engines, but they are often now dead links.

I have a friend who has [a Bearcat engine] on a stand, I don't remember what HP. It was re-built by a pro years ago and never started.

Regarding the company Economy 4 Cycle Marine in Redding, California, here is a headline from a local newspaper in 2017 : "At 97, Redding business owner not ready to quit yet".
Amazing. He still sells rebuilt and modernized Homelite - Bearcat 55 HP outboards for $1995.00 (or without updates: $1695.00.)

Jim- what a great read. Thanks! By converting to electronic ignition, those motors sound pretty competitive. And high performance camshafts? Wow! The only thing I would not like is the pin-drive prop shaft. If they were anything like the old OMC pin drives, hitting anything harder than a fish would break it. Here is another guy supporting those motors. http://www.robertsmaritimesystems.com/Bearcat_Outboard_Support.php

There is a Wikipedia article about Coventry Climax engines. The article mentions an inline four-cylinder 1098-cc displacement engine designated the FWA, in production in the mid-1950's. See

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coventry_Climax#FW

This may be the engine used in the Bearcat 85-HP engine. The automobile FWA engine is said to have produced 71-HP.

Oldslowandugly wrote:If you have an original 1960's Whaler this motor mounted on the stern would be quite the conversation starter.

I don't think the Bearcat 85-HP outboard was available until about 1971. You would have never seen one on a 1960-era Boston Whaler unless the boat had been re-powered.

The only photographs I know that show a vintage Boston Whaler boat with a Bearcat 85-HP engine are the photoraphs in this article:
"Yachting" EYES A BOAT
OUTRAGE III
A versatile 21-footer evolved from the well known Whaler
http://continuouswave.com/whaler/refere ... ABoat.html

The boat shown is Dick Fisher's personal boat, a c.1971 OUTRAGE 21 powered by a single Bearcat 85 outboard.

Oldslowandugly wrote:Parts may be a problem...

I agree that finding any parts for repair or replacement in a Bearcat 85-HP engine would be difficult.

Oldslowandugly wrote:...they were dependable for the era.

It seems hard to know how dependable a Bearcat 85-HP engine was. The engine was only in production for perhaps two years. There probably can't be more than a handful still in existence. Assessing their dependability would seem impossible. My impression from their short life span on the market is perhaps they weren't the greatest thing since sliced bread.

The 1972 Boston Whaler brochure has some good pictures of the Bearcat 85 outboard on the Minot/Katama series, a good close-up of the motor on a 16' 7" Bass Boat, and several nice pics of the 85 on the 21 Outrage, including a back cover pic with canvas.

I am sure FORD published some great brochures for the EDSEL. But you don't see many of them around any more.

My Chevy Corvair had some great brochures also.